Winterizing O'Day 25 and O/B 2 stroke Mercury 9.9

Jun 11, 2015
15
Oday 25 Long Beach Island, NJ
Hello, All.
This will be my first year winterizing the O'Day 25 with a 9.9 Mercury O/B.
My intention is to winterize her in a very protected club and leave her in the water. I am told I can leave flush the O/B, leave it in place with a cover and use marine antifreeze in the two sinks and the water tank, remove the battery and take down the sails myself. I would appreciate all thoughts and advise. Many thanks - it was a great season for sailing in New Jersey. I hope you all experienced the same!
Sharon
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Hi Sharon,
Glad to hear you had a good season.
Over in Barnegat we have seen ice 6 to 8" thick. I'd worry about ice damage unless the slip has a bubble system to keep ice clear. Even with that I spoke to a 25 owner from Beach Haven who had a lot of damage to his water line area due to the ice bubble maker not keeping the ice off.
Yes you can take out the battery and take down the sails yourself. Not sure about the marine antifreeze as I pull my boat out for the winter and don't use the water tank.
You should take the opportunity to change the oil in the OB, then "fog" it, which I believe coats the cylinders to protect them from rust. I haven't done that myself as I leave the OB with the yard to service. I hear it's easy to do.

If you are leaving it in due to not knowing a place to haul it, Mariners Marina provides a lot of winter storage for boats from LBI. They will haul it out, put it on a cradle and launch it in the spring for something like $800.

In any case, we're already looking forward to next season.

Later
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
My OB winterizing: Run motor to warmed up status in tank of fresh water to clean out salt and ensure lubrication to water pump impeller. (Never, ever start and run an outboard without proper water supply to water intake. It WILL destroy your impeller, even if run for very short time.) Spray in fogging oil (sold as such for outboards) into carb air intake until motor quits. I also pull the spark plugs and spray some oil into the cylinders directly, turn the motor over a few times with plugs out to distribute the fogging oil well. Drain the carburetor bowl using the drain port, so that there is no gas left in carb. (I dump excess fuel from tank into the car. I don't think a gallon or two of 2 stroke pre-mix will hurt a car that has mostly full tank of gas, and neither did Tom and Ray of Cartalk.) Drain water out of motor, which kinda happens when it's out of the tank. Consider replacing your water pump impeller depending on age and amount of use. It's cheap insurance. Consider draining 4 stroke engine oil, depending on age and amount of use. (I haven't done last year, considering not doing this year, as I haven't even used 1.5 gallons of fuel this year - not much run time.) Check lower unit gear lube, should be clear and brownish, definitely not milky. Milky oil means water intrusion, which is bad. Consider changing out gear lube based on age and amount of use, using manufacturer approved hypoid gear lube. Consider replacing spark plugs, set to proper gap per manufacturer spec, depending on age and amount of use.

When I do these things, my motor starts up one or 2 pulls in the Spring in my water tank, so I don't worry so much come launch day. Also, I use ethanol free fuel www.pure-gas.org and treat it with Seafoam and marine Sta-bil or Biobor just in case.

Here is advice for winterizing a freshwater system: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/water_system_winterizing
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Oh, by the way, slip bubblers or propeller can units work not by breaking up ice, but by circulating warmer water up to the surface. Therefore, they need good enough flow to start a "convection" current (even though it's just a current, not a real convection current.)
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Hey Brian,
Just a note on changing the pump impeller. Our yard won't change the impeller until spring. They don't want a new impeller sitting with bent vanes all winter. Sounds good. Not sure if it best practice or not.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Hey Brian,
Just a note on changing the pump impeller. Our yard won't change the impeller until spring. They don't want a new impeller sitting with bent vanes all winter. Sounds good. Not sure if it best practice or not.
There is much logic in this. Perhaps they sit over winter ok after being used for a summer, like suppleness break-in period?

If that's what your yard mechanics suggest, it makes a lot of sense to me. And I gotta tell you, getting the drive shaft splines to fit back up into the powerhead is such a miserable PITA on my motor, I'm all for procrastinating :D I did mine 2 years ago, and it seems the past 2 years I have used the motor less and less, so I think I'm gonna procrastinate another year :D:D:D